WASHINGTON - Hookah bars have become the "new Starbucks" for many young people in the D.C. area. At these thriving hot spots, people who are too young to drink come to socialize. But this popular pastime where customers smoke from shared water pipes, is raising some concerns among health care workers.

Tito Guillette, who smokes Hookah, thinks that Hookah bars are ideal places for college-aged kids to hang out. "It's a cool thing that all the kids want to get into," Guillette said. "They have something they can do and hang out with the older crowd if they feel like it."

Taylor Leake also frequents Hookah bars and said they are similar to cafés or coffee shops. "It's just a way to get out of the house and do something," Leake said.

The pastime originated in the Middle East, but now, dozens of Hookah bars have surfaced in the D.C. area. "So many different people enjoy it," noted Hookah smoker Anna Staudenmeyer. "And it brings a bunch of different cultures and nationalities together."

Young people enjoy a variety of Hookah flavors, but they generally are unaware of the health risks involved with smoking it. "It's not as dangerous as smoking a cigarette, or a cigar," Guillette said.

"Hookah doesn't have nicotine in it," added Staudenmeyer. "So in that way, it's not bad for you."

Jan Mahrer of the Prevent Cancer Foundation said those are all myths. "You are still getting those toxins just as much as if you were smoking a cigarette," Mahrer said.

Several medical organizations call Hookah smoking a major health risk. In fact, a recent study claimed a Hookah user inhales as much smoke as someone who's puffed 100 cigarettes.

Even so, Hookah bars are becoming visible nationwide, especially in college towns. Because of their popularity, Hookah lounges are even showing up in jurisdictions that have enacted smoking bans in public places. They can bypass the law by getting a permit that indicates smoking is the primary focus of their business.